Rhyncophthirina
The
Rhyncophthirina represent two species of
lice
that differ so markedly from all other lice that they have been placed in a suborder
of their own. These unusual lice are
ectoparasites
of
elephants and warthogs.
Their mouthparts are elongated to form a drill-like structure which allows them
to penetrate the thick skin of their host. The two species,
Haematomyzus elephantis
(the elephant louse - known only from the Indian elephant) and
Haematomyzus
hopkinsi (the warthog louse) belong to a single family, the Haematomyzidae.
